Electrical Installation Condition Report

Electrical Installation Condition Report

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a periodic inspection and test of the mains, distribution and fixed wiring that will determine if the electrical installation is safe for continued service. An EICR is an assessment, which needs to be carried out at regular intervals on all fixed electrical components by a competent person, looking for any faults with a view to rectifying any issues found. Depending on the type of building, risk and number of visitors may determine how often you need to have an EICR carried out.

 

Frequency

BS7671 Electrical Regulations state that depending on the type of property, the frequency at which you should have an EICR will vary. For industrial buildings, it is every three years. for commercial properties, it is every five years and for domestic properties, every 10 years unless you are responsible for rental properties, then you should have an EICR carried out every five years.

Although BS7671 is not a statutory document, the Electricity at Work Act is. This Act refers to thie regulations as a safety standard.

 

Risks

Unsafe electrical installations could lead to variety of risks and disasters, such as, fire; resulting in the loss of earnings, loss of of property and in the worst case, loss of life!

Furthermore, if an up to date EICR has not been completed, your insurance may be invalid. Causing unintended harm or destruction of property can come with severe punishment, therefore ensuring a current EICR mitigates these risks.

 

What is involved?

If you own or are responsible for commercial property, by having an up-to-date EICR, you are compliant with Health & Safety Regulations. As a business owner, managing director, facilities manager or whoever is responsible for the safety of the building and the workers within it, that person must adhere to The Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 and Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Furthermore, it is often compulsory to have one for insurance purposes.

You may require an EICR for a number of reasons: by law, insurance purposes, ISO audits, and more. Whichever your reason, Tidyco is here to help you!

If you have recently had a full rewire then your Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) will cover this however, a partial rewire still means that an EICR is required. Your EIC will state this.

An EICR covers only fixed electrics such as:

  • Distribution boards (MCCB panels, MCB boards and fuse boards)
  • All current using equipment including plug sockets and switches
  • Light fittings and accessories
  • Containment systems
  • Fixed wiring

As part of these tests, visual inspections will be carried out, looking for any signs of damage, along with electrical testing, which appraises the safety of the circuits.

An EICR does not cover appliances. These require PAT testing.

Upon completion of the inspection, you will receive a result of either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.  If you receive an unsatisfactory result, you will receive one of the following fault codes:

  • Code 1 (C1): Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action is required. These installations must be made safe as soon as possible
  • Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous – urgent remedial action required. These installations must also be made safe as soon as possible
  • Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. You do not need to get this fixed, but it is recommended you do.
  • Further Investigation (FI): Further investigation is required without delay. This usually means that the inspector will need to return to investigate the issue further, and will determine whether it is safe or unsafe.

Should you receive an unsatisfactory outcome, our Electrical division can advise and quote you in order to rectify the problem and make your building safe and compliant.

If you are responsible for property, then you will also be responsible for ensuring that you have an up-to-date EICR. Whether you are a landlord of domestic or commercial properties, or your role is tasked with ensuring the maintenance of commercial properties, you will hopefully find the information below helpful.

To book an EICR inspection, call 01332 851300 or email electrical@tidyco.co.uk 

Complete the form below to enquire about an EICR: